When it comes to weaponry in Destiny 2, nothing is more coveted than the glorified Exotic weapon. Exotics are tough to get, but offer some of the most interesting and unique abilities in the game. They are well worth the grind.
Some Exotics require quests to obtain, but many are found as random drops from activities throughout the game. No matter how you get them, Exotics are some of the best weapons Destiny 2 has to offer.
More Exotics are added each few weeks or months, so check back to see the full list once new weapons are revealed or obtained for the first time.
- Destiny 2 Exotics: Titan, Hunter, & Warlock Armor
- Destiny 2 Level Guide: Maximizing Your Power Level Quickly
- Destiny 2 Scourge of the Past Raid Guide
Exotic Kinetic Weapons
Kinetic weapons are equipped in your first weapon slot. They use white ammo bricks and don’t deal elemental damage.
Thorn
“Rounds pierce targets and deal damage over time. Kills with this weapon leave behind Remnants.”
Sweet Business
“Larger magazine. Increased accuracy when firing from the hip. Holding down the trigger boosts this weapon’s range and rate of fire, and automatically loads ammo pickups into the magazine.”
Sturm
“Kills with this weapon fill the magazine of the equipped Energy weapon from reserves. Kills with Drang (sidearm) reload this weapon and overflow 1 bonus damage into the mag, up to 20.”
Vigilance Wing
“This weapon fires a 5-round burst. When a nearby ally is killed, gain health regeneration and increased movement speed. Improved weapon performance and greatly increased recovery when its wielder is the last living member of a fireteam.”
Rat King
“This fully automatic weapon becomes stronger when nearby allies also have it equipped. Stacks up to 6 times. Reloading immediately after a kill grants a brief period of invisibility.”
MIDA Multi-Tool
“This weapon boosts move speed. Radar stays active while aiming down sights.”
Crimson
“This weapon fires a 3-round burst. Kills with this weapon heal the wielder. Precision kills also refill the magazine.”
The Jade Rabbit
“Chain body shots to gain bonus damage on your next precision shot and return ammo to the magazine.”
The Huckleberry
“Increased rate of fire and recoil while you’re holding down the trigger. Kills with this weapon reload a portion of the magazine.”
SUROS Regime
“The bottom half of each magazine deals bonus damage and has a chance to return health on kill. Holding down the trigger increases rate of fire, OR, when aiming down sights, weapon rate of fire slows down while weapon damage increases.”
Cerberus+1
“Shoots erratic bullets from all gun barrels at the same time.”
Editor’s note: it’s like a mix between auto rifles and shotguns.
Wish-Ender
“While aiming down sights with a fully drawn bow, enemies behind walls are highlighted. Piercing arrowhead that damages the target on entry and exit. One shot can overpenetrate multiple targets.”
Malfeasance
“Shoot tainted slugs that burrow into the enemy. Stacking enough slugs (5) causes them all to explode. Bonus damage against Taken enemies and Gambit invaders.”
Ace of Spades
“Reloading after a kill loads magazine with a few extra-damage bullets. Grants radar while aiming down sights. Precision kills with this weapon increase reload speed and cause the target to explode, dealing Solar damage to nearby enemies.”
The Chaperone
“Fires a single-slug precision round. Precision kills briefly grant bonus handling, range, and precision damage with this weapon.”
Izanagi’s Burden
“Holding reload consumes the magazine and loads a round with additional range and damage.”
The Last Word
“This weapon can be fired quickly and continuously (full-automatic). Faster reload and increased accuracy on successive hip-fire damage.”
Arbalest
“Fires slugs that cause massive damage to elemental shields of enemy combatants. Breaking an enemy’s shield with this weapon makes them more vulnerable to Kinetic damage for a brief period.”
Exotic Energy Weapons
Energy weapons equip in your second weapon slot. They use green ammo bricks and deal one of three damage types: arc (blue), solar (orange), and void (purple).
Coldheart
“This weapon shoots a steady cold fusion-powered laser. Coldheart’s laser does exponentially more damage the longer it remains on a target.”
Fighting Lion
“Grenade projectiles will bounce off surfaces. Hold (primary fire) to fire, and release to detonate. Direct hits do more damage to enemy combatant shields. Rapid kills against grenade-damaged enemies refill the magazine. Kills always drop Primary ammo.”
Sunshot
“This weapon fires explosive rounds and highlights targets that take damage from Sunshot. Targets killed with Sunshot explode in Solar energy.”
Graviton Lance
“Second shot of a burst rips a hole through space-time, doing high damage and recoil with no falloff. Kills with this weapon cause enemy targets to detonate and spawn Void projectiles that track targets.”‘
Skyburner’s Oath
“This weapon lobs large, explosive, seeking slugs when you’re firing from the hip. When you’re aiming down sights, the slugs travel fast and straight, with higher damage and a lower rate of fire. This weapon is full auto, does extra damage to Cabal, and penetrates Phalanx shields.”
Riskrunner
“When taking Arc damage, this weapon becomes more powerful and resists incoming Arc damage. Kills extend the time in this overcharged state. When Arc Conductor is active, shots fired have the chance to become chain lightning and return ammo.”
Hard Light
“Rounds fired from this weapon have no damage falloff, overpenetrate targets, and ricochet off hard surfaces. Projectile damage increases after bounce. Holding (reload) changes this weapon’s damage type, cycling between Solar, Arc, and Void.”
Merciless
“Non-lethal hits with projectiles make this weapon charge faster until its wielder gets a kill. Reloading immediately after a kill increases weapon damage for a short time.”
Borealis
“Holding (reload) changes this weapon’s damage type, cycling between Solar, Arc, and Void. Breaking an enemy shield transfers one bullet from reserves. Breaking a combat shield—or the shield of a Guardian using a Super—with that shield’s energy type grants bonus damage for the rest of the magazine.”
Prometheus Lens
“Fires a Solar trace beam and generates a damaging heat field that continues to grow while the weapon continues to fire. Kills with this weapon return a fraction of the ammo used to the magazine from reserves, extending the beam’s duration.”
Telesto
“Fusion projectiles attach and detonate with a delayed Void blast. Multikills with this weapon immediately reload your equipped Kinetic and Energy weapons from reserves.”
Polaris Lance
“Precision hits return ammo to the mag. Landing four precision hits loads a delayed Solar explosive round for your next shot.”
Trinity Ghoul
“Fires an arrow that splits when released. Aiming down sights and fully drawing the bow both decrease the spread. Precision kills grant the next shot chain-lightning capabilities.”
Lord of Wolves
“Fires a powerful short-range burst of Solar damage. Defeating an enemy doubles the number of projectiles per burst for a short period of time.”
Wavesplitter (Currently PS4-exclusive)
“Laser damage has three power levels that oscillate while the trigger is held down. Collecting an Orb of Light grants a short period of maximum power that starts with an automatic reload.”
Jötunn
“Hold to charge up a tracking shot that explodes and burns on impact.”
Le Monarque
“Arrows fired quickly after a full draw become poison arrows. Precision hits with poison arrows spread poison to nearby enemies.”
Exotic Power Weapons
Power weapons are equipped in your third weapon slot. They use purple ammo bricks and deal incredible elemental damage. Typically, power weapon ammo drops much less frequently than other types.
The Prospector
“Hold (primary fire) to fire grenades. Release to detonate all live grenades simultaneously. Grenades stick to surfaces and set targets on fire.”
Tractor Cannon
“This weapon emits a powerful impulse that pushes enemies away, suppresses their abilities, and makes them more vulnerable to all incoming damage, especially Void. Damaging an opponent temporarily increases speed and handling.”
Legend of Acrius
“This weapon fires blasts of high-damage Arc energy that overpenetrates enemies. Detect enemies on your radar from farther away.”
D.A.R.C.I.
“Aim at an enemy to view its health and other critical information in the scope. When Personal Assistant is active, this weapon has better target acquisition and deals more precision damage.”
The Wardcliff Coil
“This weapon fires a volley of rockets. This weapon automatically reloads on ammo pickup.”
The Colony
“This weapon’s grenades are insectoid robots that chase targets and explode close to them. Insectoid robot grenades quickly repopulate the magazine from reserves while the Colony is unequipped.”
Worldline Zero
“While sprinting, press (aim) to perform an AoE attack. After sprinting and then jumping, press (aim) while airborne to teleport forward. Sword kills boost movement speed and damage.”
Sleeper Simulant
“The weapon’s laser overpenetrates enemies and refracts off hard surfaces.”
Whisper of the Worm
“Higher base precision damage. Rapidly landing three precision hits will refill the magazine. Missing a shot has a chance to return ammo directly to the magazine.”
Two-Tailed Fox
“Shoots two rockets, one Void and one Solar, that can track onto the same target. The Void rocket suppresses enemies, the Solar rocket causes damage over time.”
Black Talon
“Fire (aim, aim) to fire off a projectile cross combo.”
The Queenbreaker
“Fires a long-range precision Arc bolt that blinds enemies on hit. Long-range sights with slower charge time and greater damage, OR, Low-zoom sights with faster charge time and handling.”
Thunderlord
“Kills with this weapon generate lightning strikes from above. This weapon fires faster and more accurately the longer the trigger is held. Continuous damage generates lightning strikes.”
One Thousand Voices
“Charging this weapon unleashes a giant continuous beam of death. This weapon’s beam superheats its targets upon impact, causing delayed explosions.”
Anarchy
“Grenades stick to surfaces and chain Arc bolts to other mines.”
Thanks for taking the time to look at our list! Like we said at the top, we’ll update this catalog with new weapons as they become available. Good luck out there, Guardians!
